(CNN) - Sen. Ted Cruz was greeted by a screaming crowd of supporters and cheers of "Thank you Ted!" and "Welcome Home!" Monday night in Texas.

The freshman senator said he was happy to be back home in Houston, and wasn't afraid to be honest about his feelings on Washington.

"It is terrific to be back in America," said Cruz as supporters waved homemade signs promoting "#MakeDCListen," a hashtag that was a prominent part of Cruz's 21-hour speech on the Senate floor in late September.

In the opinion of many on Capitol Hill, Democrats and Republicans, that speech was the kick-off of an irresponsible and destructive campaign to defund Obamacare at the risk of all else.

With the White House and Congress unable to settle their budgetary differences, the federal government was partially shut down for more than two weeks, and came very close to running out of money to pay its bills.

Cruz's colleagues in the Senate didn't stay quiet. "It was a fool's errand to start with. It was never going to succeed," Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

On CBS's "Face the Nation," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said, "Shutting down the government, in my view, is not conservative policy."

Catherine had announced at a family outing that she wanted to grow up to work in the Senate "like daddy." However, Cruz's other daughter, Caroline, immediately dismissed that as "boring." She also pointed out the fact that "by then daddy will be dead anyways."

Cruz went on to say, "I kind of wondered if Caroline had been talking to Republican leadership in Washington, if she knew something I didn't know."

If this isn't evidence enough that Cruz isn't too concerned with the "voices in Washington," when asked whether he was hoping to repair his relationships with Republican leaders, Cruz laughed. "I don't work for the party bosses in Washington. I work for 26 million Texans."
Ted Cruz won't rule out another shutdown, aide tells CNN

The deal that ended the shutdown and raised the debt ceiling was passed with 87 House Republicans joining 197 Democrats to vote 'Yea' and 144 Republicans voting 'Nay.'

"We didn't ultimately win this battle," said Cruz. "But listen, no one in this room started this fight thinking it would be easy. We all knew that if we took on the Washington establishment the establishment would fight back."

Cruz assured the crowd that the past two months had seen enormous progress and that if they "follow the model" of grass-roots campaigns and citizen engagement they would "change the debate" in Washington.

Movements such as the constituent support of Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul's filibuster on drones, and the backlash against gun control legislation after the shooting in Newtown, Cruz said, were evidence of effective campaigns Democrats and the White House were forced to listen to.

Cruz said the message of the rally was clear: Texans and the American people don't want Obamacare and they're fed up with Congress.

But for all his talk of blowing off the party bosses, Cruz acknowledged that success for the Republicans lay with a unified message.

"I'm hopeful, with a little bit of time and reflection, that Senate Republicans will decide to come together again," Cruz said.

"I would love to see Republican unity, to see all of us stand together against this train wreck that is Obamacare and with the American people."

soundoff(789 Responses)

Anonymous

Shut up Ted.....you do NOT represent we Republicans.

October 22, 2013 06:30 pm at 6:30 pm |

Robert N. constant

To make clear your outrage about what the Republican Party has done, vote next month in your local and state elections. Let's have more NON REPUBLICAN governors. Keep in mind, Republican governors appoint Tea Party ideologues to fill vacant Congressional seats. They also jurymander voting districts so more Tea Party nut cases go to Congress. Do something for your country. Vote All Republicans out of office. Send them to the Cayman Islands where they keep their tax sheltered bank accounts.

October 22, 2013 06:30 pm at 6:30 pm |

works4me

Can't we program this Cruz missile to self destruct sooner than later?

October 22, 2013 06:30 pm at 6:30 pm |

likeaplan

Mullah Cruz is acting like a news talk show pundit, instead of a United States of America Senator.

So embarrassed to be a Texan sometimes. W, Perry and now little Teddy Cruz. I just cringe when Texan politicians like the aforementioned are shown on a national stage. The outcome is almost always predictable.

October 22, 2013 06:55 pm at 6:55 pm |

walt

Go Ted!
The only one with enough guts to stir the pot and seek the truth from liars.
Hope you replace the cowards we have now bringing this country to a 3rd world status!

October 22, 2013 06:56 pm at 6:56 pm |

ray

deport this racists back to canada

October 22, 2013 07:01 pm at 7:01 pm |

fayse

The only Republican that I could ever consider voting for President would be Jon Huntsman. All the rest are worthless.

October 22, 2013 07:01 pm at 7:01 pm |

Lance Pearson

The modern definition of Insane: Ted Cruz, Texan, Canadian born, well educated but missing a gene that promotes rational behavior
and thought. He's just plain nuts.

October 22, 2013 07:28 pm at 7:28 pm |

jeff6187

iIt's the same thing as a criminal blaming society for his crimes. When you've really screwed up and don't want the spotlight on you, you focus on anyone else you can. And let's face it ... the Repub's are an easy target!

October 22, 2013 07:56 pm at 7:56 pm |

Steve

Cruz is no fool, I don't think be believes in half the garbage he preaches to his simple minded followers in the Teaparty. But he has captured the leadership of this movement and is now in a position to destroy the rest of the GOP unless their big money backers buys him off. For him this is about money and the old guard GOP will pay him off because as much as they dislike his views they need him and the ignorant voters who elected him to survive as a party